``Yeah, but nobody needs a Cassandra after the fact.'' (Carl Remick)
``They're innocent. I haven't quite finished the damn thing yet.'' (Doug Henwood)
``When the prediction comes true, they do not remember my prediction, they remember that I'm a nut. I have to set it up as a bet, and make them pay.'' (John K. Taber)
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Yeah, Doug, what's taking so long? Come on, I've waiting since last fall. Shit, just put `Part I' in the title and call it finished. Then start on the sequel `Part II' and cover the unraveling.
No book is ever finished. No painting is ever finished. No experiment is ever finished. No thesis is ever finished. Hell no idea is ever finished either. Look at Marx's writings. He wrote so much, he just gave up making books out of it all. I mean what is Grundrisse?
This is what an editor is for. He/she is supposed to round it off to the nearest terminal point some where in the neighborhood of two hundred and fifty to three hundred pages---that's it, until next time.
Speaking of which, Kelley, did you finish your thesis yet? See Doug, you're not alone.
Chuck Grimes
PS. Just read Yoshie's post. See. My real problem was I couldn't figure out a way to keep going to school. Speaking of Mike Perelman, I'll bet he will confirm that no book is ever finished. You just draw a line and say it's over.
``A "gradual student" with a perpetually unfinished dissertation like yours truly, however, is not in a position to lecture Doug on tardiness, alas. I humbly request that the astonishingly prolific Michael Perelman put spurs to Doug.''